Pho Pasteur Restaurant Review

: The name of this Vietnamese joint in Chinatown, a staple for more than 20 years, says it all. Huge bowls of hearty noodle soup, or pho, in a variety of permutations (beef, chicken, seafood or vegetable) draw native and curious pho-philes. Plus there are some tasty alternatives. Bun, or vermicelli-based dishes, are soul-satisfying on a cold day as is the hot and sour fish soup. In the summer, meanwhile, beef sautéed with lemon grass or chicken sautéed with vegetables are both a piquant treat. Finish with che ba mau, a sweet combination of beans, jelly, syrup, milk and ice. Beers from China, Vietnam and Japan and a mostly California wine list are available. Once the only game in town for Vietnamese, Pho Pasteur no longer stands out, but it hasn’t slipped markedly downhill either.